Visit attheraces.com/cheltenham Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 16:51 | Winning time: 5m 20.7s

Federici²⁹

Age: 11| Weight: 11-12| J: Abbie McCain⁽⁵⁾| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 116

33/1

Veteran; pulled-up in all three starts since wind surgery (over fences); hasn't run over hurdles since September 2016 (during his days with Enda Bolger); fast becoming attractively handicapped, but essentially risky nevertheless.

Form: P/57P-PP

Darlyn⁵⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-11| J: Mr Nathan Brennan⁽¹⁰⁾| T: Henry Oliver| OR: 115| C

7/4

Scarcely ever runs a bad race, winning five times from eight starts over hurdles since November 2018; 4lb higher than when beating Princess Mononoke by ¾L at Chepstow (2m, heavy) latest; sits on a career-high handicap mark.

Form: 41-3151

Rare Clouds³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 107

5/4

Finished a keeping on third (beaten 8¾L) to Thor De Cerisy in a 2m maiden at Newcastle (heavy) on Fighting Fifth Day; underwhelming since sent handicapping (0-2); slowly easing in the weights.

Form: 6-643P5

Crackdeloust^v²⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-3| J: Henry Brooke| T: B Ellison| OR: 107| C

8/1

Had shown signs that he was gradually working his way back to form (following a lengthy absence) until bombing out badly (last of 13) at Musselburgh (1m7½f, gd/sft) last month; is closely matched with Cedar Hill on 2m1f course form.

Form: 8/P0220

Nicely Indeed^p³⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 11-1| J: Sean Quinlan| T: P A Kirby| OR: 105| CD

12/1

Dual course winner, including over this trip (soft) on Boxing Day 2018; high in the weights and badly out of sorts this season (0-6); steadily beginning to ease to a more realistic mark, so no real surprise if he can rediscover his mojo.

Form: 55U969

Cedar Hill^t²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: Callum Bewley| T: I Jardine| OR: 103

10/1

Comfortable winner for Shane Crawley at Punchestown (2m, good to yielding) on New Year's Eve; has raced prominently until weakening at the business end of the race on both subsequent starts for Iain Jardine - has related form with Crackdeloust.

Form: 850138

Forecasts

Rare Clouds (5/4), Darlyn (7/4), Crackdeloust (8/1), Cedar Hill (10/1), Nicely Indeed (12/1), Federici (33/1)

With the exception of the wonderfully consistent DARLYN most of these horses are difficult to predict with any degree of certainty, and in truth the race makes little appeal from a punting perspective. The tentative selection resides on a career-high mark, although with the assistance of the 10lb claimer Nathan Brennan in the saddle she could further enhance her striking racecourse record.